Family
by Mariamwrites
Summary: In an evening in which Thalia's mind is already full of memories of what could have been, a surprise guest visits to disrupt them even further... And reminds her of the things she so desperately wishes she could forget.


I.

Thalia Grace had not expected to see him again. Not so soon.

Not when mere moments before, she and the Hunters, Artemis leading them, had descended into forests caught in the midst of Autumn, chasing Demeter's leaf children away from wreaking any further damage to the wood nymphs. Their skin had been scratched away, blood staining the bark so that their beauty had suddenly become sinister.  
Thalia would never have thought she'd call trees beautiful before, back when she was a kid, numb to the world of Olympians and demigods. But then again, she never realised she herself would one day _become _a tree. Oh gods, that was a dull existence.

At least now, shield at the ready, her dagger in her hands, she could feel the rush of the wind against her cheeks and the adrenaline ripping at her throat as she yelled battle-cries for her lady, Artemis, goddess of the Hunt, with others who felt the same way as her.  
A mutuality linked the girls of the Hunt together. They knew their loyalty, gave their maidenhood gladly, and understood that one day; they'd be part of the stars... Not in the ground, not lost to the world... but becoming an all-encompassing part of it. There was a purity in that. And of course, a beauty.

"Weapons at the ready!" A voice urged, dragon's breath emitting from the hoarse throats of the girls in the cold. Artemis grinned at Thalia, and a warmth spread throughout her body at being so addressed by the goddess.

_She cares for me more than my own dad did._

The young girl felt a surge of admiration and protectiveness over her guardian, and with it, came memories of others she'd once felt a loyalty to. Memories of running with two blonde children, and the link they shared in being runaways surged in her as she ran forward, dagger at the ready as the hunters delivered justice in a way that was both merciful and an ends to a mean. This was the way things had to be. After all, monsters were never merciful, were they?

Faces drifted into Thalia's memory. Words she would've preferred to forget. _Promises _she would've preferred to forget. It seems every family had failed her except the one she was in now.  
And even then, though she knew she shouldn't do so, the scarred face of a blond boy came to her in her dreams, smiling, teasing, at her. And though she knew her oath, kept her promise when _he _hadn't, and solemnly understood that he was gone now, _'what-ifs'_ liked to bother her more than any monster ever could.

"Thalia," A voice brought her back to the present, now sat with the rest of the Hunters and Artemis cleaning their weapons and preparing to move onto where they were needed next. "Do you need a moment alone?"

The goddess's young face was kind, knowing, and for a moment, her eyes met Thalia's, and she knew what she was thinking. There had been many a night when the girl had confided in her, spilling secrets and wishes about him that she'd barely realised she'd had. Or had known, but had feared to ever say.

"We'll give you a moment, hmm?" Artemis smiled, and Thalia nodded, the goddess squeezing her young shoulder encouragingly before motioning for the others to follow her.

II.

Thalia waited, and when she was truly alone, sighed heavily, setting down her weapons and sitting on the forest floor to just... think. She pulled her knees to her chest, allowing herself just a moment of vulnerability. The others looked up to her, second-in-command, and respected. But sometimes, all she wanted was to act in the way that came natural to her: as a teenager, away from responsibility.

"Thalia?" A voice called out, and suddenly, she was up on her feet again.  
"What... what are you doing here?" She replied in surprise, hoping he hadn't been stood there for long. She hadn't seen him for some time. Their first meeting had brought up so much emotion that it was all she could do to not run up and hug him hello. Their moments together were few and far between.  
"We- I needed your advice. I thought I'd see how you were."

Jason's voice was just the thing she needed; she found stability in him, and the ties that kept them together. Her family was not only in the Hunt. She found it in the lean body of this Roman brother who she'd assumed for dead so many years ago.

"What's up?" She said, hoping her voice hid any shred of insecurity and worry of moments before.  
"We're camped out a few miles from here. Just a minor quest for something, you don't have to worry," He smiled at her face, a flicker of anxiety showing in her bright blue eyes, "I just... We heard that the Hunters were close by, and well, I had to see you, didn't I?"  
"We don't see each other often."

Thalia smiled, and though the pair didn't hug, the warmth between them, brother and sister, sure did feel like one to her.  
"So," She said, sitting him down next to her on the forest floor, "What's this about advice? Need some more weapons? Some clues on where to find something? I've got some inkling on that kind of stuff, you're more than welcome to ask, I-"  
"It's not anything... demigodly," Her brother interrupted, biting his bottom lip in worry so that she could see the tiny scar on it clearer than ever before, "Well it is... But not to do with this quest."  
"Oh? What is it?"  
"It's... about girls."

She rolled her eyes. _Boys. Always thinking of the wrong thing at the wrong time.  
_"You sure you should be thinking of that right now?" She smiled wryly, cutting him off as he began to protest, "Don't worry about it. Who's the girl? 'Cause if you're thinking of going after Annabeth, Percy will kill you, and I'd be on his side."  
"No," He smiled in spite of the nerves in his eyes at talking to his sister about this, "It's not her. It's... Well, I don't know."

He was silent for a while, and Thalia chose not to bother him. Instead, they stared up at the sky together, her waiting for him to start up again whenever he was ready. She knew how to behave with family. As much as she hated to admit it, she'd known someone who'd once been very good at that before... everything got ruined. Or he ruined it. Whatever.

"Piper or Reyna?" He asked, turning to face her. "I love Piper. I mean, she's awesome, and smart, and cool, and gorgeous, but... What about Reyna? We... We grew up together, we were together without actually, y'know, _being _together, and... I don't know what to do, Thalia. How do I be good to both of them? How do I know what's the right thing to do?"

She pursed her lips as she mulled over his words. She'd been expecting _something_, but not this...  
"I...," She sighed, smiling at her brother in spite of everything, "You know I'm not amazing with guys, right? You're asking the girl who chose to swear off them forever."

"Yeah, I know," Jason nodded, "Any spare bit of advice though? Anything at all?"

"Mhmm." Thalia said, "Yeah, I have some stuff. I guess you just," She fiddled with her dagger, lying on the soil next to her crossed legs, "You have to understand that sometimes, people mean more to you than you expect them to. And we have these loyalties to them, and we have to understand that we have to respect those, and respect _them _as people, too. You'll have to decide soon. But it doesn't matter who you choose, because those girls have just as much as a say in this as you do. So you have to treat them with respect, treat them like they're more than just potential girlfriends. Like, those are your _friends _first, ok? Piper and Reyna deserve kindness from you. So give it to them. And when the time comes, and you think you're sure, let them decide, too. Because they might say things that might surprise you."

III.

Jason was silent as he nodded along to her words, the light of the evening casting his face to be drenched in a ghostly kind of glow. His scar was clear on his lip as she watched him.  
"Who knows what the future holds, though?" She said, "They could be members of The Hunt one day."

She laughed, the noise adding to the rustle of leaves and wood creatures, and of course, the chatter of the wood nymphs, glad to be safe from impending danger once more.  
"Maybe." He smiled, looking down at his feet in obvious embarrassment at the subject.  
"Don't worry about it," Thalia said, placing one hand on his shoulder, "Just treat people like you'd want to be treated."

He nodded, and then got up, his sister doing the same thing after him. Two pairs of electric blue eyes observed their twins in the half-darkness.  
"Th- Thanks, Thalia. For everything. You're a ... saving grace," He said, smiling at his play on words, "Who knew you could be so wise?"

She feigned being insulted at his words, and then let herself be swallowed up by his hug. For a moment, she wondered whether this was even better than being addressed directly by Artemis, or being mercifully turned into a tree by an absent dad, or having things stolen for you by your best, and only, friend when you were young. His embrace was family in one gesture.

The night was suddenly host to not only the stars and her deceased friends, but the fleeing body of Thalia's only brother. He turned in the air to wave goodbye, and she watched him go, wondering how the air felt on his skin, but dared to never let herself try. Flying seemed too free... Not for people who'd -once -been-trees. She needed roots.

And suddenly, her roots were all around her body, playing out in the memories inside her skin. Her mind found the words she couldn't bear to say to her brother, stuck in her throat to tumble out in a whisper only for her own ears, and the dark of the night:

"Be good to them," She whispered in a voice as clear as the moon's pale face, watching above her, "Too_ many hearts are broken by blonde boys with scars." _


End file.
